Yup. Right there with you.
My husband and I are home with our 7yo, 4yo, and 5 month old and trying to work from home. It's early days, and we're managing, but it's rough.
We're doing a lot of the stuff that other folks here are doing -- trying to stick to a daily schedule, encouraging educational activities, trying to get some outside time when we can. In some ways, I think 18 mos is a really hard age for a quarantine, because they're old enough to be mobile (unlike our baby who will just sweetly sleep on a shoulder while you work) but not old enough to be independent.
A couple things to consider:
-Hours shift: This may be something unique to our family, but I'm a morning person and my husband's a night person. So, I've been getting some quiet time in in the early morning (4-7) and he gets it at night (9-12).
-Daily check in: My husband and I check in in the mornings and evenings to see when we have calls, and I put blocks on my calendar when he has a call, and he does likewise for me. This is to try to make sure there's at least one responsive adult available at all times. Have to say, this doesn't always work. Sometimes someone schedules an urgent call over one of our blocks which leads me to . .
-Screen time: Yeah, we're leaning on screen time with the boys more than we otherwise would. But we're trying to split it between "fun" screen time (cartoons) and "learning" screen time. Khan Academy Kids has a good app for 2-7 that's free. I stupidly decided to pay for a subscription to ABC Mouse--it was stupid because their site is totally overwhelmed and crashy during normal hours. So, ABC Mouse for off-hours only. We're also enjoying Story Time Online, where actors read picture books. Today, we're going to try out Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems -- a livestreamed drawing lesson at 1PM. I want to learn to draw Piggy!
-Music: Having different kinds of music playing in the background has been helpful for setting the tone of whatever we're trying to do. Free time can have more active music. Non-screen learning time is generally instrumental classical or jazz.
-Indoor Active Time: Getting outdoors is very good for all involved when it's possible. But we've had some crummy weather days lately, so when we do, we have indoor active time. Dance Parties. Simon Says. Yoga. Timed races up and down the stairs.
-Clean Up Time: Set aside at least 30 mins a day to keep your space neat and tidy, and involve your kiddo to the extent you can. You're going to be spending a lot of time there, so the toy situation needs to be under control.
-Virtual Playdate: Honestly, at the toddler stage, it's mostly an excuse to talk to other parents over skype. But you can let your kiddo wave at the camera! Our kids are old enough to interact with the other kids which is fun. It does tend to make them kinda crazy (something about seeing themselves in the camera makes them extra loud and active)
And most importantly!
-Be Kind to Yourself and Each Other: Honestly, this makes me feel really grateful for the good baseline relationships I have with my husband and my kids. All the little things that would sometimes bug me--I don't care about right now. It's clear we're all doing the best we can in a really difficult situation, and we all need each other's help and understanding. I also really emphasize being articulate about feelings and apologizing when you screw up--and you will screw up!--even with small kids, "Sweetie, I'm sorry I yelled. I felt frustrated because was trying to concentrate on work, and that's hard when you're playing with that noisy toy. But that doesn't make it ok for me to yell. You forgive me?"
In the immortal words of Red Green*,"Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."
*"The Red Green Show" was a very silly Canadian comedy where Red Green, a handyman who lives in the woods and spends a lot of time in his Lodge with his geeky nephew, Harold, teaches you how to fix stuff (lots of duct tape!). Think parody "This Old House." If you need some good, senseless giggles, there is a TON of Red Green on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUXPuYZ4DEQ&list=PLYA1dURVg2KxVhXX-y0viKQi4HoiDSqCs